Syringe and needle adapter assembly



Sept. 30, 1969 G. K. BURKE SYRINGE AND NEEDLE ADAPTER ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 23. 1967 INVENTOR o/jye /f ae BWM )77m ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,469,581 SYRINGE AND NEEDLE ADAPTER ASSEMBLY George K. Burke, Bethlehem, Pa., assignor to Burron Medical Products, Inc., Bethlehem, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 677,253 Int. Cl. A61m 5/32 U.S. Cl. 128--221 8 `Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A needle adapter is supported on the boss of a syringe, the needle adapter serving to mount a hypodermic needle having lattaching flanges on the hub thereof. The needle adapter and the boss n the syringe have interengaging locking serrations to prevent relative rotation of the adapter and associated needle with respect to the syringe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to the medical eld and relates particularly to syringes wherein it is desired to interconnect with a syringe a hypodermic needle having conventional attaching flanges thereon.

The hub of the hypodermic needle is provided with these attaching anges which are adapted to engage attaching portions on a suitable member to permit quick connect and disconnect of the needle with respect to such member.

Syringes are generally provided with a boss extending therefrom, this boss having a tapered outer surface which is adapted to cooperate with a correspondingly tapered inner surface formed in the hub of a hypodermic needle for securing the needle in place on the boss. It is additionally desirable to provide conventional attaching flanges on the hub of the needle as has been done in the prior art to cooperate with attaching portions for holding the needle in place on the syringe.

It would of course be desirable to provide the syringe structure itself with suitable attaching portions adapted to cooperate with the attaching flanges on the hub of the needle. However, sterile syringes of the throwaway type to which the present invention is especially directed are molded in such a manner that the necessary attaching portions cannot be effectively molded during manufacture of the syringe itself. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a separate needle adapter which may be mounted upon the syringe, this needle adapter in turn being provided with the desired attaching portions to cooperate with the attaching flanges on the hub of a needle for supporting and holding a hypodermic needle in place relative to the syringe.

Attempts have been made to hold the adapter in place on the boss of a syringe by relying solely upon a friction fit between the adapter and the tapered boss formed on the syringe. This arrangement has proved unsatisfactory due to the fact that when the hub of a hypodermic needle is twisted into operative position to interengage the attaching flanges of the needle with the attaching portions of the adaper, the adapter itself is rotated or twisted with respect to the supporting boss of the associated syringe so as to release the frictional interengagement therewith whereby the adapter and the supported needle become disconnected Ifrom the boss of the syringe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The needle adapter of the present invention has attaching portions which ycooperate with the attaching flanges on an associated hypodermic needle to interconnect the adapter with a hypodermic needle. The needle adapter also includes an annular ange having a tapered ice bore formed therethrough, and the inner surface of this annular flange defines a plurality of longitudinally extending serrations. This annular ange portion is adapted to fit upon the tapered outer surface of the boss of an associated syringe which is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending serrations formed on the outer surface thereof and which are interengageable with the serrations formed on the annular flange of the needle adapter.

This interengagement between the serrations on the needle adapter and the boss of the syringe prevents relative rotation between the needle adapter and `the boss of the syringe. Accordingly, when the hypodermic needle is mounted in position by inserting the attaching llanges formed on the hub thereof within an open end of the needle adapter to interengage the attaching portions thereof, any twisting or torsional forces applied to the needle adapter will cause the interengaging serrations on the needle adapter and the boss of the syringe to bind and to provide a positive lock which prevents relative rotation and holds the needle adapter tightly in place on the boss of the syringe. Accordingly, the needle adapter will remain in operative position on the syringe thereby assuring that the hypodermic needle will be held in operative position on the syringe, and that there will be no tendency =for the needle adapter to twist off of the boss of the syringe when mounting the needle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel syringe and needle adapter assembly wherein the needle adapter is positively held in place on the boss of an associated syringe and will not tend to twist olf when a hypodermic needle is mounted therewithin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a hypodermic syringe, a needle adapter and a hypodermic needle illustrated in operative relationship with respect to one another;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded view illustrating a portion of the components shown in FIG. 1 and showing these components partly in longitudinal section;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an end View of the hypodermic syringe taken substantially along line 4 4 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of the needle adapter taken substantially along line 5-5 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, a syringe includes a main body portion 10 of substantially cylindrical hollow construction, this main body portion being formed of polypropylene or similar material which may be transparent and provided with indicia thereon as is conventional. A radially extending flange 12 is provided circumferentially about the open end of the barrel and has a bead 14 formed at the outer periphery thereof. The open end of the barrel is provided with a beveled entrance portion 16.

A plunger indicated generally by reference numeral 20 is of substantially cylindrical hollow construction and is slidably disposed within the barrel. A resilient piston means indicated generally by reference numeral 24 and formed of rubber or the like is supported at the righthand end of the plunger as seen in FIG. 1. The barrel construction as well as that of the plunger and the resilient 3 piston may be substantially the same as that as shown for example in U.S. Patent No. 3,306,291.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 2, an end wall 30 is provided at one end of the barrel, this end wall being interconnected with a longitudinally extending boss 32 through the intermediary of a frangible portion 34 which may be of a construction similar to that disclosed in said aforementioned U.S. patent. The boss is provided with a tapered outer surface 36 which comprises a Luer taper of well known construction for receiving the hub portion of a hypodermic needle having a cooperating taper formed internally of the hub thereof. A bore 38 extends longitudinally through the boss.

A skirt portion indicated by reference numeral 40 extends longitudinally from the end wall 30 of the barrel and is formed integral therewith. This skirt portion is generally cylindrical and is disposed in spaced surrounding relationship to a portion of boss 32 to define an annular space 42 between the boss and the skirt portion for a purpose hereinafter described.

Longitudinally extending locking means is formed on the outer surface of boss 32 and comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending serrations 44 which are formed around the entire circumference of boss 32 and extend longitudinally throughout the length of the space 42 between the boss and the skirt portion and slightly beyond the outer end 46 of the skirt portion.

A needle adapter is indicated generally by reference numeral 50 and may also comprise polypropylene or a similar material. This needle adapter is of tubular construction and includes a first generally cylindrical portion 52 joined with a second generally cylindrical portion 54 of slightly less outer diameter. Portions 52 and 54 define open end portions 56 and 58 at opposite ends of the needle adapter.

Disposed within portion 52 of the needle adapter are a pair of attaching portions 60 each of which extends circumferentially within portion 52 through an arc of approximately 180, each of the attaching portions sloping as seen in FIG. 2 so as to define a substantially helical configuration. This arrangement is adapted to cooperate with the attaching flanges on the hub of a hypodermic needle for drawing the hub of the needle into operative position and holding it in position when the needle is rotated with respect to the needle adapter.

The needle adapter also includes a radially inwardly extending wall 70 which joins with an intermediate annular ange portion 72 extending longitudinally of the needle adapter and having a bore 74 formed longitudinally therethrough.

Longitudinally extending locking means in the form of a plurality of longitudinally extending serrations 76 are formed within annular flange portion 72. The bore 74 formed through flange portion 72 is tapered in a manner similar to the outer surface 36 of the boss on the syringe so that this bore is adapted to fit snugly on such outer surface of the boss. The serrations 76 are complementary to and are adapted to snugly interengage with the serrations 44 formed on the boss. The serrations 76 extend substantially entirely around the inner circumference of flange 72.

It will be noted that the annular flange 72 is spaced from the inner surface of portion 54 of the needle adapter to define an annular space 78 therebetween.

When the needle adapted is mounted in operative position upon the syringe, the serrations 44 and 76 are snugly engaged with one another, while the annular flange 72 of the needle adapted tits within the space 42 defined between the boss and the skirt portion of the syringe, The skirt portion is in turn received within the space 78 defined between the annular flange 74 and portion 54 of the needle adapter, this interrelationship being seen most clearly in FIG. l of the drawing. When the needle adapter and syringe are thus interconnected, a very snug and positive interengagement is provided, and the cooperating serrations will positively prevent any relative rotation between the needle adapter and the syringe.

A hypodermic needle is indicated generally by reference numeral 80 and includes a cannula 82 interconnected with the hub portion 84. This hub portion may be formed of a suitable plastic material and at the open end thereof is provided with a pair of radially outwardly diametrically oppositely disposed attaching flanges 86 which each extend through an arc of approximately 60. This arrangement is conventional in the art, and these attaching flanges are adapted to cooperate with the attaching portions 60 and 62 of the needle adapter in a well known manner by rotating the hypodermic needle with respect to the adapter so as to draw the hypodermic needle into the operative position shown in FIG. l wherein it is supported and held in position on the boss of the syringe. The tapered bore 90 formed within the hub of the hypodermic needle is complementary to the tapered outer surface 36 of the boss on the syringe so that the hub of the needle is adapted to snugly fit on the boss of the syringe.

A conventional needle guard 94 is provided with an open end portion 96 which is adapted to fit snugly about the hub portion of the needle so as to protect the outer sharpened end portion 98 of the cannula 82 until the syringe is to be used.

The needle adapter may in some instances be further secured to the associated portions of the syringe as by cementing the contacting surfaces together or by heat fusing said surfaces to provide a supplementary means for holding the needle adapter in place on the syringe, if desired.

It is apparent from the foregoing that there is provided according to the present invention a new and novel syringe and needle adapter assembly wherein the needle adapter is positively held in place on the syringe and will not tend to twist off when a hypodermic needle is rotated into operative position within the needle adapter.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, and since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

I claim:

1. A syringe and needle adapter assembly comprising a syringe having an elongated hollow barrel, a boss extending longitudinally of said barrel and connected therewith, said boss having a longitudinally extending bore formed therethrough, said boss having locking means formed on the outer surface thereof, a skirt portion extending longitudinally of said barrel and connected therewith, said skirt portion being disposed in spaced surrounding relationship to a portion of said boss to define a space therebetween, a needle adapter of tubular construction and including opposite open end portions, one of said open end portions having attaching portions therewithin to receive and engage attaching flanges on an associated needle hub, the other of said open end portions receiving and surrounding said skirt portion, said needle adapter including an intermediate portion fitting within said space between the boss and the skirt on said syringe, said intermediate portion of the needle adapter having locking means formed on the inner surface thereof interengageable with the locking means on said boss for preventing relative rotation between said needle adapter and said syringe when the needle adapter is mounted in operative position therein.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said intermediate portion of the needle adapter comprises an annular flange disposed radially inwardly of a surrounding portion of the needle adapter to define a space therebetween for receiving said skirt.

3, ApparatusV as defined in claim 2 wherein the outer surface of said boss is tapered, said annular flange being correspondingly tapered to fit snugly on said boss.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the locking means formed on said boss extends longitudinally thereof, the locking means on said intermediate portion also extending longitudinally thereof to cooperate with the longitudinally extending locking means on said boss.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said intermediate portion of the needle adapter comprises an annular flange disposed radially inwardly of a surrounding needle adapter portion, said annular flange defining a longitudinally extending bore formed therethrough, said lastmentioned bore being tapered, the outer surface of said boss being correspondingly tapered, the locking means formed on said boss and said annular flange extending longitudinally thereof.

6. Apparatus as delined in claim S wherein the longitudinally extending locking portions on said boss and said ange comprise serrations formed on the outer surfrace of said boss and on the inner surface of said flange.

7. Apparatus as dened in claim 6 wherein the serrations formed within said annular flange extend circumferentially completely around the inner surface thereof, the serrations formed on the outer surface of said boss extending circumferentially completely around the boss.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the outer surface of said boss is tapered, the locking means formed on said boss comprising longitudinally extending serrations thereon, said serrations being formed on the boss which is surrounded by said skirt, the serrations extending longitudinally beyond the skirt, said intermediate portion of the needle adapter comprising an annular flange disposed radially inwardly of a Surrounding portion of the needle adapter to define a space for receiving said skirt, said annular flange defining a longitudinally extending tapered bore formed therethrough, said locking means formed on the needle adapter comprising serrations formed within said annular flange of the needle adapter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,757,672 8/1956 Ogle. 2,811,155 10/1957 Dunnican. 2,902,995 9/1959 Loper 128-221 XR 3,402,714 9/1968 Higgins et al. 12S-221 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,03 6,042 4/ 1953 France.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner MARTIN F. MAJESTIC, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

